Learning how to learn is a very important skill in the 21st century.

1. Study Skills
Dr Bhavin Chauhan

2. Study Skills
• Study skills are the skills you need to enable you to study and learn
efficiently – they are an important set of transferable life skills.
• Study Check List-
https://www.educationcorner.com/study-skills-checklist.html

3. Study Skills
• Learning study skills will not only help you in university, they will also
help you succeed in life.
• Good study skills can increase your confidence, competence, and self-
esteem. They can also reduce anxiety about tests and deadlines.
• By developing effective study skills, you may be able to cut down on the
numbers of hours spend studying, leaving more time for other things in
your life.
• Good study skills can improve your ability to learn and retain knowledge.
• Students who use effective study skills may feel their work and effort is
more worthwhile.

4. Before Study
Look at the Big Picture
• Ask yourself these questions: How many exams do I have to study for? What are the dates of these exams? How
much time do I think I should dedicate to each subject? What is my grade going into the exam, and what is the
exam worth towards my final grade?
Prioritize
• In university it may seem like there is always a paper due or an exam coming up. Prioritize and plan out what needs
to be done first, what needs your best effort, and what can wait.
Plan
• Schedule what and when you want to study. An agenda is one of the best tools you can use to organize school life.
Give Yourself Plenty of Time
• Cramming is not the most effective way to study. When you start to study weeks in advance, you have more time to
reach your academic goals. You also have time to ask questions about everything you do not fully understand.
Set up a Study Area
• Find an area where you can spread out your notes, your computer, and your books. Try to find somewhere that is
well-lit, comfortable, and where there is little distraction. There are good options for study spaces in all the libraries
across campus.

5. While Studying
Make Your Own Notes
• What are the titles, headings, and subheadings? Are there any bolded words? These can be great indicators of what information is
important. Having beautiful notes and a perfectly highlighted textbook doesn’t matter if you do not understand the information. Don’t be
afraid to get messy when scrawling out ideas on paper and connecting them in your head.
Put It in Your Own Words
• Paraphrasing is a great technique to help you really understand material. Try reading over a page or paragraph of information, covering it
up, then repeating the information in your own words.
Teach It
• Find someone who does not understand the material and teach it to them. Doing this can help you understand concepts in less time than
studying by yourself.
Should I Study by Myself or in a Group?
• At different points in your learning process you may find that you benefit more from studying on your own than in a group, or vice versa.
The key is to know where you are getting the most from your efforts and are the least distracted.
What Material Should I Start With?
• Start with the most challenging sections and move on from there. Spend only a little time quickly reviewing the material you know well.
Exam Anxiety
• Exams are among the most important and stressful parts of university life. Exam anxiety is a common and normal reaction. It can become
problematic, however, when it is intense, persists over time, or interferes with academic performance.

6. 21st Century Students will find that it isn’t just one study skill, but study
skill areas, that matter most.

7. 1. First, organization skills
• Eventually every student hopes to get a job with their education (well,
every student’s parents hope that, any how/ who). Without quality
organizational skills, no one will be able to get work done as quickly as it
needs to be done. Things get lost. Co-workers get frustrated. And people
get fired.
• Students, now is the time to hone those organization skills.

8. 2. Second, academic skills
• This has to do with how fast and effectively a student can learn. The world
is changing quickly. If you don’t believe me (I’m sure you do), go find a
telephone from 10 years ago. That’s all the proof you should need.
• When change is so constant, students have to be able to flex, to adapt, and
to learn. That’s what 21st Century Study Skills are all about, actually.
Learning how to learn.

9. 3. Third, a well-defined, internal
motivation
• Is this a skill? We include it. It’s of serious importance. Internal drive will
outlast parental or educator desires for a student every time. You can
motivate them for a bit, sure. But long-term success will be almost entirely
dependent upon your student’s personal drive.

10. Top Study Skills
Time Management
1.Make a weekly or daily to-do list
2.Use a calendar or planner
3.Get up early to get stuff done
4.Reward yourself when tasks are complete
5.Schedule your “me” time (so it doesn’t eat up study time)
6.Read the syllabus and make plans from it
7.Prioritize and schedule what you need to do – be realistic!
8.Set aside study/class work hours each day
9.Have a spot where all studying takes place
10.Make or join a study group

11. Top Study Skills
Note-Taking
1.Copy professor board notes and check Moodle
2.Paraphrase professor’s words
3.Take up as much space as needed
4.Review your notes every night
5.Create your own abbreviations
6.Jot down any ideas that the professor repeats
7.Notice verbal cues – “Now this is important”
8.Highlight your book/class materials
9.Write down all examples
10.Rewrite your notes after class

12. Top Study Skills
Reading
• Read more than once
• Highlight and take notes
• Make margin notes
• Don’t put off reading assignments until the last minute!
• Review after reading
• Keep from dozing off: don’t read right before going to bed, and don’t read in bed
• Read and understand captions and figures
• Make a glossary of terms
• Pace yourself
• Pay attention to key concepts and end of chapter reviews

13. Top 10 study skills and techniques
1. Manage Your Time
• Both as a student and a professional, you may have many demands upon
your time. To make sure you have time for studying throughout your
week, schedule study into your routine.
• Make a list of all the things you do each day. Look for things that are a
lower priority, during which you could be studying instead. When you
schedule your daily tasks, be intentional about how much time you want
to commit to each task and choose how much time you can commit to
studying. Set regular goals for what you want to accomplish during your
study time. In this way, you can prioritize studying and ensure that your
time is productive.

14. Top 10 study skills and techniques
2. Take Smart Notes
Whether you are listening to a lecture or reading a book, take notes that are more
than just a repetition of the things you are hearing or reading.
Be selective: You may not need to take notes on everything. Listen to things that
the instructor says are important. In a book, look for concepts that might have
emphasis or section headings that can help you determine major concepts.
Re-write: Pay careful attention to each concept, then re-write it in your own
words. Not only does this demonstrate that you understand the idea, but topics
may be more memorable to you when you think about them using your own
language.
Summarize: Go back through your notes and summarize each concept in a
sentence or two. This will help solidify the information in your mind and make
your notes easier to review later.

15. Top 10 study skills and techniques
3. Create a mind map
• A mind map is a diagram that demonstrates how ideas relate to the main concept. You can use
a mind map as a way of taking notes or to organize and summarize them. To create a mind
map:
• Start with a concept, such as “presentation skills.” Write it in large letters in the center of the
page.
• Draw curved lines branching from the central concept and write a related idea on each line.
Make your lines and related ideas clear, and include room to add to your ideas. These ideas
might include “software,” “communication skills,” “creating visuals” and so on.
• Add branches to each of these related ideas with further ideas. For “software” you might have
four branches, each with the name of a possible slideshow or other software application you
want to try.
• Use color and pictures in your mind map to make it vivid and memorable. As you branch out
from the main concept, make the words progressively smaller and the lines thinner. This will
help you see the relationships between each one, and which ideas are more important.

16. Top 10 study skills and techniques
4. Lecture Yourself
• After taking notes, repeat aloud what you have just studied as if you are
delivering a lecture on the topic. Explain the concept in your own words.
Don’t worry if you get stuck or forget things. Part of the exercise is to help
you identify areas you don’t really understand so you can review those
points.
• Studies show you are more likely to remember things when you engage
more than one of your senses. By lecturing yourself, you include hearing
as well as seeing. Using your own voice and your own words helps make
the information more meaningful to you.

17. Top 10 study skills and techniques
5. Teach others
• You know that you really understand a subject when you can teach it to
someone else. Find a friend or relative who is willing to listen to you talk
about the subject you have been studying. Encourage them to ask
questions since that will help you determine how well you know the topic.
You may also choose a study partner who wants to learn about the same
topic. You can then discuss the subject and reinforce or correct one
another’s understanding.

18. Top 10 study skills and techniques
6. Make it rhyme
• Find a way to make a memorable rhyme out of what you are trying to
learn. If you are musical, try putting a tune to your rhyme. Music can be a
powerful aid to memory. People often find it easy to remember the words
to their favorite songs.

19. Top 10 study skills and techniques
7. Reinforce
• When you reinforce something, you continue studying even when you
think you know it. For example, don’t stop practicing your flashcards after
the test. If you know you may need to retain the information in the long-
term, continue to interact with the material over time. When you reinforce
your understanding, you meaningfully solidify your grasp on the material.

20. Top 10 study skills and techniques
8. Break up your study time
• It is tempting to study for long periods of time, especially if you have a test
the next day. However, it is better to divide your study time into short
periods. For example, instead of trying to study for three hours, plan to
study for three one-hour-long sessions with breaks in between. During
those breaks, your brain can process the information you studied. Those
break times also give your brain a chance to rest so you can focus better
when you resume studying.

21. Top 10 study skills and techniques
9. Ask questions
• While you are reading or listening, write down any questions that come to
mind. Look for answers to those questions as you continue reading or
listening. If you find answers, make a note of them. If you find gaps in
your knowledge without ready answers, take a little time to research and
see if you can find the information yourself. This kind of active
engagement with the topic will help you remember the things you have
read or heard.

22. Top 10 study skills and techniques
10. Test yourself
• Your textbook might have study questions for each chapter. If so, answer
them as part of your study time. Alternatively, you can make flashcards to
test your knowledge of key phrases or concepts. Testing yourself like this
helps to exercise your memory so you not only retain the information but
can also retrieve it quickly.

23. Additional Material
• https://focusme.com/blog/8-tips-to-study-better/